Two key Christian conservative groups in Iowa have decided not to wade into the fray to endorse a GOP presidential candidate: the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition and Iowa Right to Life.

Steve Scheffler

The two groups are no longer sending representatives to meetings of evangelical pastors and other social conservatives whose goal is to pick just one candidate to rally behind.

The inspiration for the meetings was dismay over fragmentation in the support for conservative candidates, which could leave a candidate they see as more moderate, Mitt Romney, well-positioned to win the Jan. 3 caucuses.

Steve Scheffler, president of the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, released this statement tonight:

I was invited to attend an initial meeting and did so because our greatest hope is to restore America’s greatness and founding principles and we believe that changing the occupant of the White House is a major step towards setting our country back on the path towards conservative values.

Soon after that meeting, I told Jason Noble of the Des Moines Register that the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition would not endorse a candidate.

I believe that it is the role of our members and supporters to endorse the candidate of their choice.

There are many strong conservative candidates running and while none of them are perfect, our October 22nd Banquet highlighted for me just how blessed we are to have so many strong pro-life, pro-family, pro-national security and pro-freedom candidates running for the GOP nomination.

I will continue to reach out to and encourage all of the campaigns to speak a bold conservative message that unites values voters, economic conservatives and national security hawks.